Liquid-feed system.



C. L. STOKES.

LIQUID FEE D SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT H. 1916.

Patented June 19,1917.

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CHARLES L. STOKES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

LIQUID-FEED SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 1917.

Application filed September 14, 1916. Serial No; 120,069.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, (i-mums L. S'ronns,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the countyof Los-Angeles, State of. California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in LiquidFeed Systems, of which the followmg is aspecification.

, This invention relates to systems for feeding or lifting liquids; and,in its more particular phase, hereinafter described, relates to systemsfor feeding liquid fuel for in- .ternal combustion engines of any type,

either stationary engines or in automobile It is a gisieral object ofthis invention to provide -a system of liquid feed which involves a usimple mechanism or structure, and is automatic in its operation. And itis specifically the object of the invention to provide a fuel feedsystem for internal combustion engines,

or service reservoir and the carburetor.

is an olnect of this invention to provide a etc. to be operated bysuction (from the engine intake) to lift fuel from a tank located at alower level to feed the carbureter; to he automatic in its operation;and to be so constructed and so operated as to continue its operationunder any conditions or posi tions in which the parts may be relativelyplaced, without shutting oil the supply of liquid fuel or withoutflooding the auxiliary It simple and effective means for controlling theapplicationof suctionto fill the reservoir. this invention to provide ameans for automatieally controlling the passage of liquid from the maintank to the service reservoir,

. in such a manner that, no matter what may be the relative positions ofthe parts, the

service reservoir may be charged only to a certain level.

In my co-pending application S. N. 91303 filed April 15, 1916 I explainthe generalfeatures of a liquid fuel lifting system utilizing air in thelifting line; said air, after separating from the liquid, going to theengine as carbureted air. In said application I describe a continuouslyoperating system, wherein the liquid fuel is continuously raised bysuction andsurplus fuel is returned to the main tank; and in saidapplication I lay claims broadly to the mechanism for admission and useof air in the manner specified. In this present It is one of thespecific objects of Other objects of this invention will ap- I pear inthe following detailed specification, wherein I explain a preferred formof my apparatus as applied to an automobile or the like, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which, for the purpose of thisspecification, I have illustrated said preferred form. In said drawings,Figure 1 is a diagran'ishowing .the various operative parts of theapparatus of my system, and showing their relations and connections;Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section of the connection to the main fueltank; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the service reservoir;and Fig. 4 is a section of the same taken as indicated by line 44 onFig.

3. It will be understood that, although 1 illustrate an-arrangementofparts typical of an automobile installation, the system herein describedand shown is equally applicable to any internal combustion engine plant.

In the drawings I show an ordinary fuel tank at 10, representing thefuel tank usually located at the rear end of an automobile. In astationary installation the tank may be located 1 nderground. This tankhas the usual filling opening 11 with an air vent; and has an outlet- 12at its bottom. Outlet 12 leads into a chamber 13 from which a feed pipe14 leads horizontally and upwardly to the service reservoir 15. 'Withinthe chamber 13 there is an airjet nozzle 16, supplied with air' througha pipe 17 whose open upper end 17* is above the level of the liquid intank 10. The relative sizes of pipe 14, outlet 12, and nozzle 16 aresuch that when suction is applied to pipe 14 the liquid will be drawnfrom tank 10 and air will also be drawn through the nozzle 16; creatinga mixture of liquid and air in the pipe 14-. This mixture of liquid andair is lighter than the liquid itself and is consequently drawn throughpipe 14 by a minimum,application of suction. Pipe 14 discharges into theservice reservoir 1.5. The inlet passage 20,,thruugh which pipe l-ldischarges into reservoir 15, is controlled by an upwardly closing fuelvalve 21. mounted upon or connected to a float the arrangement beingsuch that, when the liquid level L in the reservoir rises/t0 a certainpredeteri'nined point, this fuel valve 21. will close and will preventfurther discharge of liquid into the reservoir under any condition.connected by suction pipe 23 with the intake ma uifold 24 of the engine,above the throttle valve so as to get the benefit of the n'mxin'iumengine suction. The carburetor may be of any kind, of the conven- Iiouulfloat type, with the fuel reservoir open to atinospl'iere. The liquidfuel is fed from service reservoir 15 through the pipe to theea-rbureter C, this pipe having in it an u tiwardly opening check valve31. It is the function of this check yalve 31 to prevent back passage ofliquid from the carbureter to the reservoir under certain situvoir, whenports 38 and 39 are in registration. The valve arm 40 is engaged by anupwardly facing shoulder 41 0f a member 42 when the float 22 moves uptoward its position illustrated; and is engaged by a downwardly facingshoulder 43 when the float moves down toward the bottom of thereservoir, and when the liquid level has reached near the bottom. In theposition illustrated the air valve 36 is open, allowing inflow of airthrough the o ening 35, and this air will be drawn throng the suctionpipe 23 into the intake manifold 24 of the engine. When the float 22 isdown, then air valve 36 will be closed; and then the air drawn with theliquid through pipe M will be drawn through the suction pipe '23 to theintake manifold. The air passage through air valve 36 is of such size asto pass substantially the same amount of air as is normally passedthrough pipe 14. The function of the inlet 35 and air valve 36 istwo-fold; to provide approximately the same amount of air to be drawninto the engine manifold, as is provided" through the pipe 14 when valve36 is closed,

so as to keep fairly or substantially uniform the supply of air (andtherefore, of combus-. tible mixture) to the manifold; and to provideaccess of atmospheric pressure to the liquid in reservoir 15, so asLtoallow the liquid to flow out through pipe 30 to the carbureter; theliquid in the carburetor being exposed to atmospheric pressure. Whenvalve 36 opens, the entrance of atmosphere to the reservoir prevents thefurther applicationof suction to the pipe 14; so that the opening ofthis valve stops the raising of The upper part of the reservoir is oilthe entrance of pipe 1=l in such an emergencvas when the tank 10 abovereservoir 15. (.lonsetpiently, the valve 21 is not needed in a strictlystationary system but only in automobile systems, marine installations,

and the like. The valve 36 normally alone controls the supply of liquidto the reservoir by merely allowing, or cutting off, ac-

cess of atmospheric pressure to the reservoir; diverting or directingthe engine suction from or to thepipe 14, without at any time actuallycutting off the engine suction, It is the particular function of thecheck valve 31 to prevent back flow of the fuel from the carbureter tothe service reservoir when the liquid in the reservoir is sub jected tosuction. If it were not for this check valve, this suction would pullthe fuel back from the carbureter at the same time that it raised fuelin the pipe 14.

The complete operation of 'my system will be readily understood from theforegoing description. The applied suction draws a mixture of air andliquid through'pipe 14 into the service reservoir 15, the liquid beingheld in that reservoir to supply the carbureter, and the air being drawnimmediately into the engine manifold. The operation of raising liquidand air into the service reservoir will continue until the reservoir isfilled; when. the application of suctionto pipe 14 will be discontinued.At this time, the entrance of atmospheric air will be allowed throughair valve 36, supplying the engine with a proximately the same amount ofair as be ore, and putting atmospheric pressure on the liquid in theservice reservoir. It is to be noted that, although the action ofraising the liquid to reservoir 15 is intermittent, the application ofsuction and the flow of air through pipe 23, through one valve or theother, is fairly or substantially continuous. The carbureter draws itsfuel from the service reservoir; and when the liquid level in thereservoir is lowered, the float operates the air valve 36 to cause thereservoir to be refilled. When the reservoir has been filled to theproper level, it is impossible, under any condition, to feed more liquidinto the reservoir, as the float will hold the liquid feed port closedby operation of fuel valve- 21. This is true even if tank 10istemporarily higher than the reservoir.

eept as stated in the appended claims.-

Many structural changes may be made; for

instance, the service reservoir and earburotor may be structurally oneunit; but theseand other .modifieatimls will suggest themselves topersons skilled in the art.

I-Iavinga, described a preferred. form of my invention, 1 elailn:

1. In a liquid feed system, the eombination'or' a liquid tank and aliquid reservoir abovesaid tank, commonieation between the tank and theupper part of the reservoir, means for restrietedly admitting atmosphereto said omnmunieation, means for applying suction to the upper part ofthe reservoir, and automatie means for admitting atmosphere to the upperpart of the reservoir to divert the appliration o'l snetion from the.said eommunieation. between the reservoir and tank. a

2. In a liquid feed system, the combination of a liquid tank and aliquid reservoir above said tank, rommunieation between the tank and theupper part of the reservoir, means for restrietedly admitting atmosphereto said eonnnunieation, means for ap plying snetionmto the upper part ofthe.

reservoir, and float operated valve means for admitting, atmosphere tothe upper part of the reservoir, so that when the liquid level in thereservoir is low the admission of atmosphere is cut off and when theliquid level ishigh, the atmosphere is admitted.

3. In a liquid feed system, the combinationot a liquid tank, a. liquidreservoir above said tank, .eommunieation means between the upper partof the reservoir and the liquid, tank, means to apply suction to theupper part of the reservoir. means to restrirtedly admita gas into therommuniration between the tank and the resen voir,

and meanscontrolled by the liquid lei'el'in the reservoir to opencommunication "of atmospl'iere with the reservoir.

4. In a liquid feed system, the combine tion of a liquid tank, aliquidreservoir above said tank, eonnnnnioation means between the upper partof the reservoir and the liquid tank, means to applysuotion to the upperpart of the reservoir, means to restriet'edly admit atmosphere intotheeomnumieation'between the tank and the reser- 'voir; valve controlledmeans for admitting atmosphere to the reserv 011', valve means for .y.controlling the communication between the liquid tank and the reservoir,and a'float in the reservoir for ())B1tllilll" both of said valve means.

5. In a liquid 't'nel'feed system for in ternal combustion engines, orthe like, the rombinatimi of a liquid fuel tank, a liquid fuel reservoirabove the tank, a enrlmreter, oonnnuniration between the lower part ofthe reservoir and the carburetor to feed fuel from the reservoir to thecarburetor by gravity, said eommnnieation including a cheek valve toprevent movement of the liquid fuel away from the carburetor into thereservoir, eommunication between the tank and the upper part of thereservoir, means to restrietedly admit atmosphere to said eommunieation,means to apply suction to the upper part of the reservoir, said meansembodying a oonmrunieation between the upper part of the reservoir andthe intake of the engine, eonnnunieation between the upper part of thereservoir and atmosphere, valve means for eontrolling saideon]nnlnieation. valve m'eans't'or rontrolling the. eomnnlnieationbetween the tank and the reservoir, a float in the reservoir, and

operative eonneetive means between the float and said .valves to rausetbe'serond mentioned valve to be rlosed when the float 15 up and to openthe first mentioned valve when the lloat is up and rlose it when the'float is down.

(i. In a liquid feed system, the rombination of a liquid tank and aliquid reservoir above said tank, eomniunieation between the lank andthe upper part of the reservoir, means for admitting atmosphere to saideonununieation below the normal liquid level in the reservoir. means forapplying suction to the upper part oi. the reservoir, and means for(-utting olf surtion from the reservoir and :ulmitl'ing atmospherethereto.

7. In a liquid Feed system, the rombina tion of a liquid tank. a liquidreservoir above said tank. communieation between the tank and thereservoir. means to re strietedly admit atmosphere to saideo1nnuniieathm, means to apply surtion to the upper part of thereservoir. the reservoir having, an atmosphere inlet. a float. and alvemeans rontrol'ling the atn'iosphere inlet and operated by theJloat toopen when the fl at rearlies an. upper position and to (lose when thefloat reaehes a lower position.

8. In a liquid feed system, the eombination of a liquid tank, a liquidreservoir above; said tank, ronmumiratiin1 between the tank and thereservoir, means to restrietedly admit atmosphere to said eommunieation,means to apply suetion to the upper part of the reserveilytlie reservoirhaving an atmosphere inlet. a float. valve means (-ontrolling theatmosphere inlet and operated by the float to'open when the floatreaches an upper position and to close when. the float reaches a lowerposition, and valve means eontro1- ling tlie entry of liquid to thereservoir operated by the float to berlosed during the times! when thefloat is in its said upper position.

9. -In combination with a earbureter, a low level liquid fuel tank, aliquidfuel reservoir above the tank and in eoinmunieation with theearhureter to sn pply 'it with fuel, commu'nieation between thee ta nkand reiervoir, means for reetrietedly :irhnitting atmosphere to saideonnuunieation at a point where the admitted atmosphere entereiheupwarcll} moving column of liquid fuel moving from. the tank to thereservoir, com-' municntiongneans to apply to said. reservoirtlie'siietion wiiinh is applied to the eairbureter to maintain a partialvacuum" in the reservoir andyto draw therefron'l the air which enters"it with the fuel and means depending upon the level. of liquid in thereservoir to discontinue the appli eation of suction to the reservoir.

10. In combination with a earbureter, a low level liquid. fuel tank, a.liquid fuel reservoir above the tank and in communication with theearbureter to supply it with fuel, communication between the tank and 30reservoir, means for restrictedly admitting ati'nosphere to saidcommunication at a point below the normal level of liquid fuel in thereservoir, communication means to apply to said reservoir the suetionwhich is 3 applied to the rarbureterto maintain a partial acuum in thereservoir and to draw therefrom the air which enters it with the fuel,an atmosphere eonnnunieation port in the reservoir, and valve meansdepending.

upon the level of liquid in the reservoir to :nlteruately open and'close said port.

In witnesethat I elaim the foregoing I have-hereunto subsrribetl my namethis 8th day "(It September, 1916.

CHARLES L. STOKES. lVituesses JAZMES T. BARK. unnw, EDWARD 1-1.BARKELEW.

